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IX I>088EgSIOX OF THE ST. LOUIS MERCANTILE 
MHR ART A«':OOT >TION^, 




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JOURNAL. 



In the year 17G2, M. D'Abatlic, at thtit time Director General and Com- 
mandant of Louisiana, granted to a Company the exclusive trade with the 
savages of the Missouri, and all the nations residing Avest of the Mississippi* 
for the term of eight years. This company was formed under the name of 
M. Laclede Ligueste, Antoine IMoxan and Company. Immediately after 
the terms and conditions Avere signed with the French Government, they 
took measures to import from Europe all the merchandise necessary to sustain, 
on a large scale, their commerce, which they proposed to extend as much as 
possible. While waiting for the arrival of the goods which they had ordered 
in Europe, they formed a considerable armament, at the head of which was 
placed M. Laclede Ligueste, known as a man of great merit, capable, from 
his experience, of conducting with skill and prudence, the interests of the 
company. He left New Orleans the 3rd of August, 1763, and arrived in Eli- 
nois the 3rd November following. 

Observe, that all the establishments which the French had on the left bank 
of the Mississippi, were ceded to the English by the treaty of 1762, and that 
upon the right bank, which remained to the French, there Avas only the small 
village of Ste. Genevieve, in Avhich M. De Laclede could not find a house 
capable of containing one-fourth of his merchandise. M. De Neyon, Com- 
mandant of Fort de Chartres, learning the embarrassment of M. de Laclede, 
sent an officer to him, to tell him that he could ofier him a place for his goods, 
until the English should come to take possession. Necessity made him accept 
this generous ofier of M. De Neyon. He left Ste. Genevieve, and arrived at 
Fort Chartres on the 8rd of November, 1763, where he disembarked all his 
goods, and prepared immediately all the supplies for the dificrent nations. 
After all the business of the trade Avas done,- he occupied himself with the 
means of forming an establishment suitable for his commerce, Ste. Genevieve 
not suiting him, because of its distance from the Missouri, and its insalubrious 
situation. These reasons decided him to seek a more advantageous site. In 
Consequence, he set out from the Fort de Chartres in the month of December, 
took with him a young man in his confidence, and examined all the ground 
from the Fort de Chartres to the ^Missouri. He was delighted to see the situ- 
ation (where St. Louis at present stands;) he did not hesitate a moment to 
form there the establishment that he proposed. Besides the beauty of the 
site, he found there all tlie advantages that one could desire to found a settle- 
ment which might become very considerable hereafter. After having exam- 



ined all thoroughly, he fixed upon the place where he wished to form his set- 
tlement, marked witli his own hand some trees, and said to Chouteau, " You 
will come here as soon as navigation opens, and will cause this place to be 
cleared, in order to form our settlement after the plan that I shall give you." 
We set out immediately afterwards, to return to Fort de Chartres, where he 
said, with enthusiasm, to Monsieur De Neyon, and to liis officers, that he had 
found a situation where he was going to form a settlement, which might be- 
come, hereafter, one of the finest cities of America — so many advantages were 
embraced in this site, by its locality and its central position, for forming set- 
tlements. He was occupied the rest of the winter in procuring all things ne- 
cessary for the settlement — men, provisions, tools, &c. , 

Navigation being open in the early part of February, he fitted out a boat, 
in which he put thirty men, — nearly all mechanics, — and he gave the 
charge of it to Chouteau, and said to him: "You will proceed and land at 
the place where we marked the trees ; you will commence to have the place 
cleared, and build a large shed to contain the provisions and the tools, and 
some small cabins, to lodge the men. I give you two men on whom you can 
depend, who will aid you very much ; and I will rejoin you before long." I 
arrived at the place designated on the 14th of March, and, on the morning of 
the next day, I put the men to work. They commenced the shed, which Avas 
built in a short time, and the little cabins for the men were built in the vicinity. 
In the early part of April, Laclede arrived among us. He occupied himself 
with his settlement, fixed the place where he wished to build his house, laid a 
plan of the village which he wished to found, (and he named it Saint Louis, in 
honor of Louis XV, whose subject he expected to remain, for a long time ; 
— he never imagined he was a subject of the King of Spain;) and ordered 
me to follow the plan exactly, because he could not remain any longer with 
us. He was obliged to proceed to Fort de Chartres, to remove the goods that 
he had in the fort, before the ai-rival of the English, who were expected every 
day to take possession of it. I followed, to the best of my ability, his plan, and 
used the utmost diligence to accelerate the building of the house. 

Whilst we were all very much occupied with this work, there arrived among 
us, in the month of all the tribe of the Missouris, — men, women 

and children ; and although they did not appear to have any evil intentions 
towards us, they were not the less a heavj^ charge on us, from their continual 
demands for provisions, and from their thefts of our tools, — telling us, always, 
that they wished to form a village around the house we intended building, of 
which it would be the centre. All this talk disturbed me very much, and 
made me resolve to send for Monsieur de Laclede, — and what still more 
strongly determined me to do so, was, that there had come from Caos* some 
people to settle in the new village, but who left it again for fear of the Mis- 
souris, who numbered about one hundred and fifty Avarriors, while we were 
only thirty or thirty-five. But I should say that this tribe never appeared 
to have any hostile intentions Avhatever. Monsieur de Laclede arrived, and 
immediately the Chief of the Missouris came to see him, in order to hold a 
council. The result of the council was that they were worthy of pity ; that 

* Cabokia. 



they were like the ducks and the bustards, wlio souglit open water in order to 
rest, and procure an easy subsistence ; that they did not find any place more 
suitable, in their opinion, than the place where they were. Upon that, they 
said many things, which amounted always to this, that they desired to settle 
where they were. The council ended, Monsieur Laclede postponed, imtil the 
following day, his reply to them. The council again assembled, and, after 
much vague preliminary talk. Monsieur de Laclede spoke to them Avith his 
usual firmness : " You told me, yesterday, that you were like the ducks and 
the bustards, who traveled until they found a fine country, where there was 
beautiful open water, that they might rest there, and obtain an easy living; 
and that you, the Missouris, who were worthy of pity, resembled them, because 
you traveled like them to find a place to settle yourselves, and that you did 
not find any one more suitable than that where you are at present ; that you 
wished to form a village around my house, where we should live together in 
the greatest friendship. I will reply to you in a few words, and I will say, 
that if you followed the example of the ducks and the bustards in settling your- 
selves, you followed bad guides, who have no foresight ; because if they had 
any, they would not put themselves into open water, so that the eagles and 
birds of prey could discover them easily, which would never happen to them 
if they were in a woody place, and covered with brush. You Missouris, you will 
not be eaten by eagles ; but these men who have waged war against you for a 
long time past, who are in great numbers against you, who are few, will kill your 
warriors, because they will offer resistance, and will make j'our women and chil- 
dren slaves. Behold what will happen to you, for wishing to follow, as you 
say, the course of the ducks and bustards, rather than the advice of men of 
experience. You women, who are here present, and who listen to me, go, 
tenderly caress your children — give them food in plenty ; also, to your aged 
parents, — press them closely in your arms, — lavish upon them, all the evi- 
dences of the tenderest affection, until the fatal moment which shall separate 
you from them — and that moment is not far distant, if your men persist in their 
intention to settle here. I warn you, as a good Father, that there are six or seven 
hundred warriors at Fort de Chartres, who are there to make war against the 
English, — which occupies them fully at this moment, for they turn all their 
attention below Fort Chartres, from whence they expect the English, — but if 
they learn you are here, beyond the least doubt, they will come to destroy you. 
See now, warriors, if it be not prudent on your part to leave here at once, 
rather than to remain to be massacred, your wives and children torn to pieces, 
and their hmbs thrown to dogs and to bmls of prey. Recollect, I speak to you 
as a good Father ; reflect well upon what I have just told you, and give me your 
answer this evening. I cannot give you any longer time, for I must return to 
Fort de Chartres." 

Li the evening, the whole nation, men, women and children, came to Mon- 
sieur de Laclede, and told him that they had opened their ears wide to his dis- 
course, and that they would follow, in all things, his advice : and they prayed 
him to have pity upon the Avomen and children, and give them provisions, and 
a little powder and some balls for the men, that they might hunt while going 
up the Missouri, and defend themselves, if they were attacked. Monsieur de 



6 

Laclede told them that he would have pity on them, and detained them till the 
next day. He could not give them anything that day, for he had not enough 
corn, which he was obliged to send to Caos for. As soon as he had received 
it, he gave them a large quantity, — some powder, balls and knives, and some 
cloth ; and the day after, all the Missouris went away, to go up the Missouri and 
return to their ancient village, — having remained here fifteen days, in the course 
of which I had the collar of the house, which we were to build, dug by the 
women and children. I gave them, in payment, vermillion, awls and verdigris. 
Tliey dug the largest part of it, and carried the earth in wooden platters and 
baskets, which they bore upon their heads. 

Monsieur dc Laclede, after giving the orders which he thought necessary, 
for the works of a settlement, left, a few days after the savages, for Fort de 
Chartres. Those persons who had fled to Caos on the coming of the savages, 
returned as soon as they knew that they had gone away, and commenced build- 
ing their houses, or, to speak more correctly, their cabins, and entered their 
lands, agreeable to the hues of the lots which I had drawn, following the plan 
which Monsieur de Laclede had left with me. 

Monsieur de Neyon de Villiers, who governed Upper Louisiana, under the 
name of Illinois, had orders from the Governor-General of the province, to 
evacuate the whole left bank of the Mississippi, which had been coded to the 
English by the treaty of Versailles. In consequence of these orders, he caused 
to be withdrawn the garrisons of Fort des Pees, upon the Illinois River, that 
of Fort Marsiaque, on the Belle Riviere ; the post of Vincennes, upon the 
Wabash, whore cominanded Monsieur de St. Ange de BoUerive ; and, although 
the Fort des Causes was in Missouri, he brought down the little garrison of 
this post, — and even an officer whom he had sent to build a fort on the Osage 
River, near a village of the tribe of the same name. As soon as he had col- 
lected all the troops at Fort de Chartres, he ordered Monsieur de St. Ange to 
remain there with forty men, one captain and two lieutenants, to deliver up the 
fort to the English, who were expected every day, and he himself prepared to 
go down the river on the 10th of July, 1764^ with the remainder of his troops, 
and all the employees of the government, and a large part of the inhabitants 
of the villages of Fort de Chartres and Prairie du Rocher, for whom he prom- 
ised to obtain free grants of land, near New Orleans, for the sacrifices they 
were making of their property, in order to go and settle in Lower Louisiana, 
under the French government, rather than to remain under the dominion of 
the English, who were heretics, &c. But the real motive of Monsieur de 
Neyon was, to take with him a numerous train, and to descend the Mississippi 
in triumph, to make the government believe tliat all these people followed him 
f jr the great esteem which they had for his person ; thereby to gain the confi- 
dence of the authorities, in order to obtain a place that he had in view. But 
when he learned, on arriving at Now Orleans, that the country was ceded to 
Spain, he determined to return to Europe. He forgot all the promises that he 
had made to these poor, credulous people, who remained upon the strand with- 
out knowing where to lay their heads, and the government troubled themselves 
but little about them, because they know that the colony would soon change 
masters. So that these unfortunate people, who had abandoned the little pro- 



perty which they possessed in Illinois, to go and live under the French govern- 
ment, found themselves completely disappointed in their hopes. Some of tliem, 
in order to live, went with their families to Opeloush^s, others to Atakapas, 
where, however, they could not carry, on account of the want of facilities for 
transportation, the materials which they had brought down with them ; and 
they were obliged to give them for almost nothing, in order to procure a little 
maize and rice. Those who, having some means, returned to Illinois, were 
very happy to find there Monsieur de Laclede, who aided them in a great many 
ways, and observed to them, that if they had been willing to follow his advice, 
as others had done, who had not wished to follow their evil destiny, they would 
not now be in the unpleasant situation in which they found themselves. 

Monsieur de Laclede, penetrating the motives which actuated Monsieur de 
Neyon, did all in his power to hinder them from going down, which he did 
without any interested view, but through humanity, telling them that the 
English government was not so terrible as they wished to make them believe ; 
that, for his part, he had a much more favorable opinion of it. However, if, 
in consequence of false prejudice, they did not wish to remain under this gov- 
ernment, he would recommend them to go up to his new settlement, and he 
would facilitate for them the means of getting there with their effects ; and, as 
for their animals, it was very easy to conduct them by land, since the journey 
was only nineteen leagues by a good road. Several families accepted these 
oflfers, and obtained immediately the wagons and the necessary harness to pro- 
ceed to St. Louis, and there he aided them in settling, and ordered me to assign 
them lands, according to the plan that he had made, which I did as exactly as 
possible. As I have already observed, that immediately upon the departure 
of the tribe of the Missouris, the inhabitants* who had fled to Caos had returned, 
and, with those of Fort de Chartres, commenced to give some permanence 
to St. Louis. 

After the departure of Monsieur de Neyon, which took place the 10th of 
July, 1764, and the emigration of its inhabitants to St. Louis, the village of 
Fort de Chartres remained totally deserted, except the garrison of the fort, 
and some government employees, who also lived in the fort, because 
in the village, a part of the houses had been demolished by the own- 
ers, who took the boards, the windows and door frames, and everything else 
they could transport, to the places where they intended to settle. In the course 
of the winter of 1764-5, the savages of the north of this country knew that 
the English were fitting out an expedition at New Orleans, to take possession 
of the Illinois comitry. These savages, desiring to oppose this, set out for 
Fort de Chartres, to the number of four hundred men, having at their head the 
famous Pontiac, of the Ottawa nation, who had absolute authority over these 
tribes, because he had commanded them in the capture of many forts occupied 
by the English, against whom he waged a cruel war, since the peace of 1762. 
He said that he fought to avenge the French ; but, in truth, it was through a 

* A. Joseph Tayon, Roger Tayon, Dechene, Beauchamps, Morceran, Joseph Bequet, 
Andre Bequet, Gabriel Dodier, Baptiste Marligne, Lemoiue Marligne, Beaugenou, Cotte, 
Pichet, Ilervieux, Bacune, Francois Delin, La Garrosse, Kierseraux, Gregoire Kierceraux, 
Alexis Picard, Antoine Pothier, Th. Labrosise, Labrosse, Louis Cbancellier, Chancellier, 
Gainache, Ride, Roi, Layoie, Le Grain. 



8 

disposition for robbery and plunder. Upon his arrival near Fort dc Chartrcs, 
he encamped his people at a short distance, and obliged the Peorias and Mec- 
chiquamici (who had their village a league from the fort,) to take up arms 
with them, if the case should require it. The Illinois not .appearing very well 
disposed to do so, he said to them : " If you hesitate one moment, I will destroy 
you, like the fire which passes through a prairie ; open wide your ears, and 
remember it is I'ontiac who speaks." From this moment, the Illinois appeared 
to make part of the coalition, — I believe, because they could not do otherwise. 
After various arrangements, Pontiac went to see Monsieur de St. Angc, and 
took with him the braves of his party. On seeing him, he said : " My father, 
for a long time I and my warriors have determined to give you our hand, and 
to smoke together our pipe of peace, — recalling to each other all the campaigns 
that we have made together against the savages, and those dogs of English." 
M. de St. Ange de Bellerive was a Canadian, and an old officer, who had 
served from his tcnderest youth against the savages, whereby he had gained 
much reputation, especially after the defeat of the array at Chiquaphas, where he 
was present under the command of M. Prudommc. M. Prudommo was a brave 
officer, who had fought in Europe, and wished to follow the same tactics in fight- 
ing the savages. M. de Bellerive having made some observations to him, upon 
the manner of conducting this war, these representations appeared to oflTend 
M. Prudomme, and he determined to follow his European principles in the 
attack of the fort of the Chiquachas, which was in a large prairie, surrounded 
by strong stakes and well embanked, and in which there were about eight hun- 
dred warriors, well armed, and generally good shots with the rifle. They wer^ 
well informed of this fact, by some French prisoners whom the Chiquachas 
had taken, and who had escaped. In spite of this knowledge of the situation 
of this fort, M. Prudomme wished to take it by assault ; and, in consequence, 
placed his troops, and ordered the attack. M. Bellerive said to him, at that 
time, that, considering the situation of the fort, he looked upon the taking it 
by main force as impossible ; that it would be better to await the arrival of the 
artillery, which was in the reserve camp on the Mississippi ; and that, while 
awaiting its arrival, they could invest the fort, and, by this means, be assured 
of complete success ; that, otherwise, they ran the risk of a disastrous defeat. 
The Canadian officers, who had come from Canada with M. Bellerive, and had 
joined M. Prudomme with a detachment of Avhites and savages, approved the 
plan of M. Bellerive, Avhile the officers from France, who h.ad come up from 
New Orleans with M. Prudomme, were of his opinion. After many words on 
one side and the other, M. Prudomme addressed M. de Bellerive, and said 
to him, with a proud and haughty air : " Monsieur, when we are afraid of the 
Avolf, we don't go in the woods." M. Bellerive said to him : " This is not the 
time to answer you. I will only say, that I have no fear of bullets, but rather 
of being thought ignorant of the method of attacking a fort ; and of losing 
the two thousand men who arc under our command, without the hope of 
saving even a feeble remnant. — The contrary would happen if we waited for 
our artillery. You are determined to attack and take the fort without artillery. 
Very well ! — Let us march ! ! " When the Indian chiefs, who were present at 
the departure of the two leaders, saw M. Bellerive marching upon the fort. 



9 

they ran to him, took him by the hand, and said: "Bellerive, stop; where 
arc you going ? Do you not see that it is impossible to take the fort with- 
out cannon,' and that if you persist in trying to take it you will be killed, 
and, afterwards, yoiu- army will be totally massacred 1 Believe us, give up 
this assault, recall your men that you led from Canada, and let alone this 
mad chief, who will be killed, with all who follow him. You say that he is 
a brave, and that you must follow him ; that if you do not do so, you would 
be branded as a coward. No, Bellerive, you will never pass for such. Who 
is it that docs not know you, all the campaigns that you have made, and in 
which you have been always successful^ Who does not recollect, that it 
was you who reduced the Sac" and Fox Nations'? All these campaigns have 
gained you the esteem of the whites and the red men ; they will always 
regard you as a brave ; so beUeve us. Remain, and dispose of all those who 
came with you from Canada, in such a way as to save those who will not 
be killed in the attack upon the fort." M. Bellerive gave them his hand, and 
said, " I hope, my brothers, that you will act in the affair which is about to 
take place, like true braves, as you have always done. See, the chief is 
advancing; I must follow him; farewell." He rejoined M. Prudomme, and 
said to him, " Now is the moment that will decide Avhich of us was wrong ; 
assuredly, it will be neither you nor I who will be able to decide the ques- 
tion, but those who will survive us. Recollect, if you have any orders 
to give, if I am not before you I shall be beside you." They advanced upon 
the fort with firmness, and all the little army did the same, following the 
example of their chiefs, who had given the order to cut down the stakes, 
with axes ; but when they were within half gmi-shot distance, they received 
a discharge from the besieged, which killed the two chiefs, many 
officers, and a great number of soldiers. At the second discharge, they again 
killed a great many ; and, at the tliird discharge, which was the most mur- 
derous, the besiegers retired in disorder, without having wounded a single 
man.— How could they have done so, since they fought against strong stakes 
and earth works "? The besieged, perceiving the rout of the besiegers, made 
a sortie, and massacred all whom they could overtake, pursuing them with 
a fierceness wliich is only known to barbarians. Happily, night came, and 
enabled several to escape, and regain the reserve camp. At day-break, the 
savages foUowed upon the path of the fugitives ; they had dogs that discov- 
ered the wounded in the thickets, and, as soon as found, they were cut in 
pieces. All this day was passed in seeking them, and those who had strayed 
from the road. There perished, in the attack on the fort and in the rout, 
nine hundred'men. The savages who were not engaged, and who gained 
the reserve camp, were there told, that there was no doubt that the army 
would be defeated. Upon this intelligence, the officer in command doubled 
his guards, and sent a detachment forward on the road to reconoitre. They 
met several officers and soldiers, of whom the greatest part were wounded, 
who confirmed the news of the destruction of the army, cursing, in the most 
expressive terms, the conduct of M. Prudomme, and his obstinacy in not 
being willing to follow the wise counsel of M. Bellerive, who allowed himself to 
be killed for a point of honor, — very untimely held under such circumstances. 



10 

The commander of the camp sent, during four days, strong detachments 
to meet those who had escaped from the massacre. At the end of this time, 
not seeing any one, and afraid of being attacked himself, he caused to be 
embarked all the artillery and the other articles that were there. The regu- 
lar troops descended to New Orleans, with the material of the army; the 
militia and savages took the road towards Canada, from whence they had 
come, and nothing remained in this camp, which retains, to tliis day, the name 
of I'Ecore a Prudomrae. 

I take up again my Journal, which I had stopped until this time, in order 
t) show the reason why the savages had so much respect for M. de St. Ange 
(le Bcllerive, brother of the one who was killed at Chicquachas, and who had 
himself often engaged in warfare, in company with these savages, in which he 
had gained their confidence by his bravery. 



